


Through His Eyes

by Mayoki



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Becoming bros, Bond films and earl grey tea, Bromance, Character Study, Developing Friendships, Gen, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-10
Updated: 2015-05-10
Packaged: 2018-03-29 21:56:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,727
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3912088
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mayoki/pseuds/Mayoki
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ignis and Prompto couldn't be more different; one has been trained his entire life to advise the crown prince, the other is a reckless ex-fugitive who just wants to have a good time. Is it really any surprise that the two have barely ever had a conversation? The only reason they even met in the first place is due to their mutual acquaintance of Prince Noctis.</p><p>When Noctis and Gladiolus leave on a trip to Solheim, Ignis and Prompto find themselves alone. And the barriers between them begin to come crumbling down.</p><p>Their newfound bonds are put to the test, however, when Noctis and Gladiolus return home having been attacked by a group of enhanced Sabertusks. Prompto and Ignis must work together to find the cure before it's too late, and that means trusting in each other like they never have before.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Through His Eyes

**Author's Note:**

> There was a request for an exploration into the relationship between Prompto and Ignis, since they really are polar opposites, and to see what they think of each other. I had a lot of fun doing this, as it turns out I adored their interactions and the story just kept getting longer! I wanted to see them bonding, then I wanted to test that bond, hence the second half of the story was born. It's easy to be fairweather friends, but I wanted to up the stakes and see how they interacted when faced with real danger. I'm just cruel like that. ^^
> 
> I hope you enjoy it! ♥

'It's okay Ignis, you don't have to come,' Noctis had said before he left.

Unnecessary. Not required. Surplus to requirement. However he spun it the words stung in his mind a little. Though he was sure that Noctis hadn't meant it that way - indeed the dark prince probably hadn't realised at all that it had struck a chord within him - he couldn't help but feel that it was a failing on his own part. That if he was somehow better then Noctis would have felt the need to bring him along too. Instead his prince had travelled to Solheim with Gladiolus, Cor and a select few other guards. It was only a token visit to keep the peace between the nations by showing face for a few days, but Noctis could be very disagreeable at times and he hated those official meetings. Ignis was worried Noctis would make a sarcastic comment to the wrong person and inadvertently spark a war.

The only consolation was that Noctis hadn't brought Prompto either. While the thought made him feel guilty it was nice to know that it wasn't just him the prince had asked to remain behind. Prompto had complained loudly, mostly Ignis assumed because he wanted to visit the Costa Del Sol beach resort. If he was truly honest with himself a few nights at the Costa Del Sol would be rather nice; sitting out on the veranda with a cocktail as the sun went down over the endless white beach…

He sighed, and glanced down at the book he had been reading for the past hour. He hadn't turned a single page; it was clear that the history of Sabertusk evolution simply wasn't enough to engage his distracted mind tonight. The cup of tea on his desk had gone cold, and he swirled the pale liquid with distaste. Perhaps making a fresh cup would help him concentrate. Stretching his legs would do him some good, too.

He ventured out of his bedroom, glancing across the hall to Gladiolus's closed door. His heart dropped a little. He turned down the corridor and tried to look away from Noctis's door, but he couldn't help glancing over at it. It hurt to see it closed, knowing that Noctis wasn't in the room beyond, sleeping away. He stood for a long moment studying the wood, his mind conjuring up a million ways in which Noctis wouldn't come back to him. What if the meeting turned sour and Noctis was assassinated by the Solheim royal family? What if he went swimming and drowned? What if the convoy was attacked on the way home and Noctis was killed in battle? …What if he got sunburned? That was painful, and he doubted Gladiolus or Cor would know how to treat it. Noctis's skin was delicate, Ignis knew how to keep him safe in so many ways. Why oh why hadn't he been asked to go along?

'Really quiet without 'em, isn't it?'

Ignis jumped, almost upsetting his cold cup of tea. He turned to see Prompto leaning against the doorframe opposite Noctis's room.

'Yes, quite,' Ignis said, trying not to let it show how off guard he'd been. In truth he hadn't realised Prompto was still awake, as it was rather late.

An uneasy silence fell between the two after that, where they smiled politely at one another but neither quite knew what to say. It was strange; they'd been living in close quarters for years, and spent most of their time together, but the conversations they'd shared were few and far between. Ignis found himself desperately trying to think of something to say, even if it was just regarding the weather, but Prompto thankfully beat him to it.

'You think they're alright?'

Ignis nodded. 'Of course. His highness has both Gladiolus and Cor protecting him. The route isn't dangerous and Solheim is a staunch ally.'

'Yeah, I guess,' Prompto said.

The silence swept back down like a curtain between them.

Ignis shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot. He liked Prompto well enough, but their common factor was Noctis. Was it not for the prince there would have been no way they would have even met, let alone become friends. He lifted his gaze and met Prompto's cool blue eyes. Unable to hold them Ignis looked away. It was unnerving when Prompto studied him like that; he'd noticed the gunner doing it several times, and a seed of fear would plant itself within him as he wondered what Prompto thought when he looked at him. As carefree as the blond man appeared he had a sharp eye and was second to none when it came to reading people. Being under that scrutinising gaze was unnerving, especially as he always got the feeling that Prompto thought of him as some stuck up rich boy, who had only got his position because of his family's status. Whereas Noctis had personally chosen Prompto to be in his inner circle.

'I'd better get going,' Ignis said, at the exact moment Prompto said: 'Wanna watch a movie?'

They both froze in silence, realising they'd been suggesting completely opposite things. That summed them up perfectly; exact opposites. It was sad, but true. Ignis managed a half smile.

'Sorry Prompto, it's rather late and I was on my way to bed after washing my cup,' Ignis lied. He'd been intending to stay up late reading. 'Perhaps tomorrow?'

'Yeah, sorry yeah it's late. I didn't really think,' Prompto said with a grin that would have come easily if he was using it on Noctis. For Ignis it looked strained.

More silence.

'Well, goodnight,' Ignis said, wincing at how formal his voice sounded.

Prompto gave him a little wave. 'Night.'

Prompto's door closed and Ignis was left alone in the corridor. He let out a breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding, then found himself watching a third closed door. He could have kicked himself; why hadn't he accepted the movie proposal? It would have been nice to be with someone, it would have distracted his worried mind from fretting over the prince, and it would have given him the chance to get to know Prompto a bit better.

But the moment was gone, so he turned and went to the kitchens to refill his cup of tea, then returned to his bedroom to not-read about Sabertusks until the early hours of the morning.

If he closed his eyes and concentrated he could hear the sounds of the Avengers theme song from the direction of Prompto's room.

-

The next day Ignis received word that the prince and his entourage had safely reached Solheim without any incidents. Ignis nodded at the text from the Lucian royal ambassador in Solheim, and was about to go back to his research when his phone vibrated. He smiled at the name that flashed up and swiped to answer.

'Good morning, highness.'

'Yo, points please for it actually being morning and me being conscious. Impressed?'

'You simply never cease to amaze me,' Ignis said, leaning back in the chair as he spoke, picturing Noctis now, grumpy at having been woken so early. 'How was the journey?'

'Boring.'

'Boring is good. Boring is safe,' Ignis reminded him.

'Camping is supposed to be fun, though. Cor wouldn't even let us have a fire after dark, said it would alert enemies to our presence. _Enemies_. Seriously, Ignis, I was freezing my butt off. I went to bed at seven just to get warm under the covers.'

'Ah, so that's why you're so lively this early in the morning.'

There was a pause. 'Oh wait, you can't see me. Just so you know I'm sticking my tongue out at you right now.'

Ignis chuckled. 'Duly noted, my prince.'

There was soft laughter on the other end of the phone. 'So you're okay? You sound tired.'

'I'm fine, highness.'

'Now I'm glaring at you. You're a horrible liar. What's up?'

Ignis sighed, and glanced out the window. The sky was grey, and a drizzle of rain pattered against the window. 'It's nothing, highness. It's as you say, I'm just a tad tired.'

'Well sleep then. Go take a nap, prince's orders.'

'Really? You're ordering me to have a nap?'

'Sleep is important, I take it very seriously. And even more serious is you taking care of yourself. I'm not there to make sure you're not stressing yourself out, so you need to make sure you don't drive yourself crazy before I get back, okay?'

'I'll try to remain sane, highness.'

'Good. Seriously, Ignis, take care of yourself, alright? You worry me.'

That gave Ignis pause; Noctis worried about him? It had always been the other way around, he was so used to worrying over the prince that he hadn't noticed Noctis doing the same for him. It warmed his heart, but also made the pang of loneliness burn brighter. 'I will, highness. And you take care of yourself too. I'm glad you made it to Solheim safe, but there's still the return journey. And you need to remember to sleep enough, and eat enough, and not stay out in the sun as your skin burns easily.'

'That's the Ignis I know and love. Relax, I'm fine. I've got Gladio and Cor with me. And remember you've got Prompto too, yeah? What did you guys do last night?'

Ignis's mind froze as he pictured Prompto in his doorway. Guilt churned in his stomach, perhaps it was a trick of his memories but as he pictured the scene there was pain in Prompto's eyes as he turned away. Had Prompto been upset at his rejection? 'Prompto decided to watch a film, and I read.'

'Huh. Really? I'd have figured you guys would have taken the chance to gossip about me and Gladio. Exchange embarrassing stories, have a laugh. You should do that tonight, it would be fun. Maybe have a few drinks too, Prom knows some great drinking games.'

'I'll ask him.' Ignis promised.

'Ignis-' Noctis began, but there were voices in the background. Noctis apologised quickly then there was the sound of a muffled conversation before Noctis came back on the line. 'Sorry Ignis, I've gotta go. The prince of Solheim wants to take me chocobo riding.'

'That's what you're there for, to cement our bonds. Enjoy yourself but be careful.'

'Careful fun, got it,' Noctis said, then hesitated. 'You are okay, aren't you?'

'I'm fine, highness.'

'And Prom is too? There's nothing you're not telling me?' Noctis asked. Clearly he could sense something was wrong.

'Prompto is fine. Go have fun, Noct.'

Using his nickname had the desired effect, he heard a little release of breath over the line and then Noctis's voice was lighter: 'Okay. Talk to you soon.'

'Goodbye, highness.'

The call disconnected and his phone went dark, but Ignis stared at the screen for a good couple of minutes before snapping himself out f his trance and setting the phone down. He glanced over to his laptop where his research thesis was staring at him, begging to be written, but he didn't feel up to writing it. Instead he closed the laptop down and left his office, deciding to take the prince's advice and catch a quick nap. Perhaps that would perk him up a little, Etro knew he needed a boost.

-

Without Gladiolus about there wasn't really anyone for Prompto to train with. All the other guards were wary of someone that fought with guns, and his hand to hand combat wasn't good enough to fight against them. Gladiolus always went easy on him, but he wasn't entirely convinced the other guards would stop before snapping his wrist in two. He wasn't about to test the theory out, either.

For a few hours he practiced shooting targets out in the courtyard, but even that got boring after a while. His aim was excellent, it didn't really need improving but he always liked to keep himself in practice. If it ever came to battle he wanted to be able to protect Noctis, and shooting was his skill. He'd protect Noctis to his last bullet, and then he'd even have a go with his useless hand to hand combat if that's what it came down to.

After a quick snack in the kitchens where he'd scored some spicy chicken wings he went up to his room to stash away his technically illegal firearm, then pondered going back for more wings. It was almost lunchtime after all, and the kitchens hardly ever did spicy food. As he descended the stairs from the floor that housed Noctis and his friend's room he was debating between food and prank calling Gladiolus when he almost ran into someone. And that someone just _had_ to be Ignis. Well of course it did, duh, Noctis and Gladiolus were in Solheim.

'Hey, what's up?' Prompto greeted, trying to keep the nervous tone from his voice. He hated talking to Ignis, not because he disliked the man, but because he was sure that Ignis was judging everything about him, from the way he talked to the way he dressed. Take right now; Ignis was wearing a tailored fitted blazer that perfectly matched his trousers, a sharp shirt and polished black shoes. Whereas Prompto was wearing jeans ripped at the knees that hung low on his hips, black boots with buckles on and were scuffed beyond belief, and a t-shirt that had been washed so many times even Prompto wasn't sure what band it was supposed to be advertising. Add in the bracelets, the piercing, the messy spiky hair…he felt seriously scruffy compared to Ignis. Ignis smelled of breath mints, Prompto smelled of spicy junk food. Perfect.

'Hello Prompto,' Ignis said, shifting uncomfortably as if he didn't want to be there.

Prompto's stomach flipped, he hated that look. He wanted them all to be friends, and while it was easy to get along with Gladiolus and Noctis he'd simply never been able to break through Ignis's barriers.

'Keeping busy?' Prompto asked, making conversation.

'Yes,' Ignis said, and for a moment that seemed to be all he was going to say. 'I, ah, I'm working on a research article comparing the toxic effects of Sabertusk venom through the ages. It appears that the beasts that have recently been appearing on the outskirts of Lucis are descendants from a rather dangerous breed native to Niflheim but thought to have become extinct nearly a hundred years ago.'

Prompto blinked. 'Cool.'

'Well not "cool",' Ignis said, adjusting his glasses. 'There have been three fatalities of travellers that have been wounded by these Sabertusks. The wounds themselves were non-lethal, however all three fell ill shortly afterward and died.'

'Okay that sucks. Anyone survived?'

'No. The mortality rate is one hundred percent.'

Prompto shuddered. 'They're not coming to Insomnia, right?'

Ignis smiled a little. 'No, they've been mainly confined to the East of Lucis, and there only appears to be a couple of packs so far, though the packs are larger than usual for Sabertusks. The army is already making moves to take them down, and I'm working on an antidote to the poison.'

'Any luck?' Prompto asked.

Ignis shook his head. 'Sadly not. The only samples I've been provided with have broken down before I could test them properly. The victims were all too far away to get adequate blood samples from, they were too degraded by the time they reached me.'

'That sucks. But if they're going to be killed anyway it's not a problem, right?'

'No, but for the sense of completeness I would have liked to have been able to complete the puzzle and develop an antidote. The scientist in me enjoys the challenge.'

Prompto grinned. 'Maybe you'll get a chance yet. Can't they bring you one back?'

'Perhaps. We'll see,' Ignis said.

Then the uncomfortable silence fell again. Prompto was going to make it easy on Ignis and make his leave, but Ignis surprised him by speaking first.

'Would you…like to watch that film tonight?' Ignis asked.

Prompto was sure there was a blush on his cheeks, though he couldn't imagine why Ignis would be embarrassed in front of him. Ignis was just so damn cool, and he was, well, a mess.

'Sure! I'd love to. Anything you'd like to see?'

'I don't have much experience with films, I usually watch whatever the three of you decide to put on. Anything will be fine.'

'No, come on Iggy,' Prompto said. 'What do you like watching? What's your favourite genre?'

Ignis seemed to have problems with that concept. 'It doesn't really matter what I like, I usually have the choice made for me during film nights.'

'And tonight you get the choice. So hit it. I'm up for anything, I just don't want to sit alone in my room again.'

A strange light passed over Ignis's eyes, and Prompto shifted uncomfortably under the gaze. It almost looked like pity and he hated pity.

'I enjoy spy films,' Ignis said quietly, as if afraid to voice his own desire.

Prompto grinned. 'Spy movies, huh? Like James Bond?'

Ignis removed his glasses and wiped them on the bottom of his shirt. 'Yes.'

Prompto grinned. 'Lucky for you, I have every single movie downloaded illegally and ready to fire up. We can have a Bond marathon tonight!'

Ignis looked up sharply as he replaced his glasses.

Prompto coughed and blushed a little. 'When I say illegally, I obviously mean totally legally.'

'Of course,' Ignis said, and Prompto was sure there was a quirk of a smile at the corner of his lips. 'Very well. I'll see you tonight?'

'It's a date!' Prompto said, snapping him a salute.

And with that Prompto continued on his way, his sense of dread growing with each step he took. What had he done? It was just going to be him and Ignis. No Noctis to make sassy sarcastic comments, no Gladiolus to tease him and clear the mood. Just the two of them. The two people with the least in common. And Ignis hated him! So why had he even offered? Prompto began to freak out more and more, wondering what Ignis would think of his messy room, and his illegally downloaded films, and the way he chewed his popcorn with his mouth open. That was so un-posh. And Ignis was like the very definition of posh. He probably ate his popcorn with a knife and fork. Prompto groaned; this was going to be a disaster.

-

Disaster or not, it was happening. Prompto had already set up the latest Bond movie ready to watch, and he had a big bowl of sweetened popcorn ready on the little coffee table between his sofa and the huge flat screen television. Everything was a gift from Noctis, the prince had wanted him to have a bedroom that he could relax in, which meant a special area set aside for gaming and movie watching. Prompto had had a quick tidy up, kicking all his dirty clothes under the king size bed, and stacking his games beside the television. He'd even put his games console away, which was a rarity. It usually just sat out since he played it so often. Now his room looked almost tidy and he barely recognised it. But would it pass the Ignis test? Etro only knew.

There was no time to worry about it now; a soft knock at the door alerted Prompto to his friend's arrival. Prompto leaped over the back of the sofa and then skidded to the door, taking a moment to compose himself before opening it.

'Hey! How's it going?' he asked stepping back to let Ignis in.

'Very well, thank you,' Ignis said, stepping inside. Prompto watched as he looked about, but the older man made no comment on the state of his room.

'So. I figured we could like work backward? We'll start with the latest Daniel Craig movie, then take it from there. What do you say?'

'That would be fine,' Ignis said, allowing himself to be led over to the sofa.

Prompto hovered nervously, then sat down what he thought was a respectable distance away. If it had been Noctis or Gladiolus he'd have cuddled right up, or else spread himself over the sofa with his feet in their lap or something. But Ignis was an unknown quantity and he didn't want to appear even more uncouth than the bespectacled man already thought. So he sat up straight and picked up the remote.

'Okay then, you ready?'

'I am indeed,' Ignis said, sitting up as straight and stiffly as Prompto was.

Wow, this was just going to be a barrel of laughs. Prompto tried to think back to all the movie nights they'd had as a group of four; Ignis had never been quite this formal. But then when you had Noctis dozing all over you like a giant cat and Gladiolus making funny comments and drawing everyone in, then it was probably easier for Ignis to be himself. Prompto wished he could make the other man as at ease.

They watched the chase in Istanbul in near silence. Prompto reached forward for the popcorn but his crunching sounded loud even in his own ears so he didn't have any more. Instead he sat miserably, trying to remember how long the film was, and making a mental note of when they started so he could tick down the minutes.

Ignis wasn't faring much better. He sat stiffly, unsure of what to do with himself. He had been so sure that Prompto wouldn't really want to hang out with him that it was a bit of a shock to find himself sitting there. In all honestly he assumed the only reason Prompto spoke to him at all was because of their mutual acquaintance of the prince. Perhaps Prompto was really so bored that an evening with Ignis was more enjoyable than being alone? Ignis wasn't so sure; when he glanced over at Prompto the poor blond looked uncomfortable to say the least. Ignis sighed, he seemed to have that effect on people. Pople thought of him as a workaholic, a walking encyclopaedia that corrected people (force of habit) and was generally a stuck up boring ass. He tried, he really did, but he had no idea where to start with Prompto. Or even if Prompto really wanted to befriend him, or if he was just a second best while Noctis and Gladiolus were away.

He hadn't been joking when he'd said he was a spy film fan, Ignis had seen Skyfall several times and knew what was coming. He couldn't help clucking his tongue when Moneypenny smashed out the windscreen of her wrecked jeep. 'And in the next scene the windscreen is fully intact,' he said with a note of distaste. 'How did nobody spot that?' As soon as he'd said it he cringed; he was just going and proving that he really was a snob. To his surprise, though, Prompto burst into laughter.

'Oh man, I am _so_ glad I'm not the only one pissed off by that.' Prompto sat up a bit, having slouched down in his boredom. 'And you know they must have had like a million people watch it before it was released, didn't somebody notice the miraculously reappearing sheet of glass? It's not like they have a Noct to fix it for them.'

'I don't think the prince could fix shattered glass,' Ignis said.

'Oh no, he could,' Prompto said, turning away from the television. 'There was this one time we were riding skateboards down the main staircase - don't ask - but anyway I crashed into one of those glass statues of Etro at the bottom. You know those really expensive lookin' ones?'

Ignis cringed. 'They _are_ very expensive, and a gift from Tenebrae during the eightieth king of Lucis's reign.'

'Yeah, I smashed it,' Prompto said with a sheepish smile. 'Like her head came off and everything, and her arm was just…well basically it was a massacre. But Noct knelt down beside her and there was this blue glow and then it all went back together again. He said he was heating the molecules of glass and drawing them back together again. Well, whatever he did it saved my ass. Noct is so amazing.'

'Yes. Yes he is,' Ignis said, astounded. He'd have to ask the prince about that when he returned from Solheim. And also give him a talking to about skateboarding down staircases. Hopefully this had been many years ago when they were younger, but Ignis didn't quite dare ask to confirm that.

'And you know what else they screw up in this film?' Prompto continued, apparently now that he'd started talking he wasn't going to stop. 'When he's on the train Bond's shoes go from lace up to slip on boots. Seriously, could the wardrobe guys not just use the same kind of shoes? That's just sloppy, right?'

A small smile caught Ignis's lips. 'I thought I was the only one that noticed these things. I thought people got annoyed with me whenever I pointed out mistakes, so I try not to do it.'

'Hey, it's cool with me. I notice a lot, you know? I'm a gunner, I make it my business to keep an eye on things. I notice subtle changes, I look out for the best vantage points, for the weak spots. So I notice things in movies too, usually when they do stupid things like continuity errors, but they make plenty of screw ups. It's fun to pick them out, see how many I can find.'

'I do that too,' Ignis said, finally letting the smile spread over his face. 'You know the scene in M's office, with her earrings-'

'Oh god the earrings!' Prompto burst out laughing. 'How the hell did nobody spot that?'

'No idea!' Ignis said, surprising himself with a laugh too.

Prompto scooted closer to Ignis, so their arms were brushing together. 'Hey, and you know Q? Quartermaster? Look at him when he comes on and tell me he doesn't remind you of Noct.'

Ignis frowned. 'He doesn't remind me of the prince.'

'Really?' Prompto asked, surprised.

'Really. Q is awake,' Ignis said, completely deadpan.

Prompto paused for a brief second, realising that Ignis had just made a joke. And about the crown prince, no less. That was it; Prompto was in stitches. He was bent over double with tears in his eyes, more at the thought of Ignis - uptight, stick to the rules Ignis - was making fun of Noctis. Pure gold. 'Wow. You know if Noct was here he'd be pouting.'

'No, if the prince was here he'd be sleeping, and would therefore not hear my joke to be offended. You have to admit he does sleep an awful lot.'

'Oh I admit it! I just figured you'd always defend him. Whenever Gladio or I say anything about it you're all "his highness needs his rest" and stuff,' Prompto said, mimicking Ignis's deeper voice.

Ignis snorted, and then realised what he'd done and blushed. 'I don't sound like that.'

'You do! Just like that!'

'I do not!'

'Do too!' Prompto said, throwing a handful of popcorn at Ignis. And then he froze. Had that been a step too far? His stomach clenched as he waited for a reaction…

A cushion hit him full on in the face. 'You threw popcorn at me.'

'Yeah well, deal with it!' Prompto said, leaping up from the sofa and taking the cushion with him. Ignis still had another to use as ammo, but at least they were even now. 'Okay then, speccy, bring it on.'

'A pillow fight?' Ignis asked, looking incredulous. 'You really want a pillow fight?'

'Technically it's a cushion fight,' Prompto pointed out. That earned him a whack in the face. 'Hey! I wasn't ready!'

'One should always be on guard for an attack,' Ignis reprimanded, dodging as Prompto swung out his own cushion.

'No fair, get back here!' Prompto said, chasing after Ignis as the older man darted across the room. 'You're as tricky as Noct. I can never catch him, he warps everywhere and cheats.'

'I assure you my skills are rather less impressive, and that I would never cheat. I don't need to cheat,' Ignis said, slinging his cushion and catching Prompto in the side as the blond rolled off to the side.

'Hah, now I have both cushions! Bad move, Iggy.'

'Oh really?' Ignis asked, his glasses flashing as he moved under the light. He dodged a flying cushion and leaped onto the bed, grabbed up a pillow in each hand and flung them expertly at Prompto, catching the gunner in the face and the stomach.

Prompto went down spluttering. 'I said no cheating!'

'That wasn't cheating, that was using one's resources,' Ignis said, adjusting his glasses. 'Perhaps you would do well to-'

Ignis was silenced by a pillow in his face.

'Suck that!' Prompto said, laughing as Ignis pulled the pillow away and glared.

'Argentum. The games stop now. Now it's serious.'

Prompto felt a chill run up his spine, and he clutched his final pillow tightly. 'You're on.'

No sooner had Prompto spoken than a pillow came spinning his way at breakneck speed. He saw it, though, and was able to duck out of the way just in time, though it clipped his hair as it flew above his head. Prompto slid across the carpet on his socks, grabbed the post of his bed and used the momentum to help him swing his own pillow harder, catching Ignis in the back as the man made a run to go and pick up more ammo from the floor.

'Low blow,' Ignis muttered, but took the pillow and flung it back with an accuracy usually reserved for aiming daggers.

Prompto was fast, though, and leaped onto the bed, bounced on the mattress and grabbed the top railing of his four poster bed, lifting himself up so the pillow went sailing underneath him. 'Hah! You can't catch me!'

'You're like a monkey,' Ignis said, picking up a cushion. Instead of throwing it he used it to deflect a pillow thrown by Prompto.

'Sill cheating,' Prompto accused.

'Employing tactics is hardly cheating,' Ignis said, bending to pick up the other pillow. And that was his mistake.

Prompto took the opportunity to bring two more pillows from the bed into play, and with a flying leap bounced off his bed to launch them at the other man.

Ignis caught sight of the attack just in time, and knew he had to act fast. The only thing that came to mind, however, was rather extreme. But he didn't care. He rushed forward and grabbed Prompto by the waist mid air, sending them both crashing to the bed in a tangle of limbs. They bounced for a few seconds, then fell still, both of them breathing heavily and clutching each other.

'That…was amazing! I didn't know you had it in you, buddy!' Prompto said, laughing.

'Honestly? Neither did I,' Ignis said with a small laugh. 'This is certainly not the kind of thing I should be doing.'

'Why not?' Prompto asked, disentangling himself and propping himself up on his elbows. 'You know Noct would think it was cool. He does stuff like this all the time with me and Gladio.'

Ignis sighed and stared up at the canopy of Prompto's bed. Instead of the usual darker colours of the palace Prompto's room had splashes of colour. His bedding was ocean blue, and it was like looking up at a clear sky. 'Exactly. He does things like that with you and Gladio. I'm the one that made him do his homework and sat with him to study the history of our neighbouring kingdoms. I was the one that made him drink potions when he was sick. I was the one he associated with boring things, you got to have the fun times with him. It was easy for him to like you, it took him years to accept me as anything more than an annoyance.'

'You really think that? Noct never thought you were annoying. He loves you, he thinks you're cool and smart and amazing.'

'Perhaps, but the relationship he has with me and the relationship he has with you are completely different. It's my job to keep him safe, so I can't skateboard down flights of stairs with him.'

Prompto smiled and reached out a hand to squeeze Ignis's. 'And that's a good thing. You're there to stop us getting too crazy. And to patch us up when you couldn't get to us in time. Ignis, you do know he doesn't like me any more than you or anything stupid like that, right? He loves all of us the same. Differently but the same. If that makes sense?'

'It does. Sometimes I just wish that I was more like you. You make everything look so easy.'

'Are you kidding me? I just wing it! And…I wish I was more like you, you know? Calm, smart, able to actually help people rather than just getting in the way.'

Ignis frowned and turned onto his side so that his face was barely inches from Prompto's. 'You're never in the way, Prom.'

'Feels like it sometimes. You're perfect, Gladio's strong. And don't get me started on Noct; the guy can make weapons out of thin air and makes magic for crying out loud. I mean what can I do compared to you guys? You don't need me, I'm just the spare wheel.'

'You…honestly feel that way?' Ignis had honestly always thought Prompto was slightly cocky, completely confident at the very least. But now he could see the other side to the blond boy; he was as terrified as Ignis was of fitting in. They were both idiots. 'We're both needed. You know that, right? You're the glue that holds us together. You do more than you know, Prompto.'

'And you're not as boring as you think you are, Iggy,' Prompto said with a smile. 'When you let yourself have fun you're really cool. We need to have a pillow fight with Gladio and Noct, and I want you on my team.'

Ignis returned the smile easily. 'Deal.'

Loud gunfire made them both jump, until they realised the film was still running. They both laughed.

'I think we're gonna have to restart the movie,' Prompto said.

'I believe you may be correct,' Ignis said, sitting himself up on the bed and stretching his arms high above his head. 'Perhaps a drink first? Then we can settle down for the evening.'

'Sounds like a plan,' Prompto said, turning the film back to the start and pausing it. 'I'll come with.'

So they both descended to the kitchens, which were almost empty. A single chef was cooking something for the king, but largely ignored them as they went for the kettle.

'Hot chocolate,' Prompto said, going for the powder. 'You want one?'

'No thank you, they're too sweet for my taste. I prefer tea.'

'Tea?' Prompto asked, wrinkling his nose. 'I haven't tried it in years, but isn't that an old people's drink?'

Ignis smiled. 'I assure you it's not. And if you haven't tried it for years then how do you know that you don't like it? Your tastes may have developed since you were a child.'

'I didn't really do the whole growing up thing, so I doubt it. Make one and I'll try it,' Prompto said.

So he did. Ignis went about making himself a cup of earl grey tea in a bone china cup, and set it down on a saucer. 'I usually prefer it with lemon, but I don't think you'd like that so try it with milk,' Ignis said, holding the cup out.

'Okay,' Prompto said, taking the cup delicately and then sipping the hot liquid. It was slightly bitter, and perfumed. But not as awful as he remembered. Not as good as a sweet hot chocolate with marshmallows would have been, but it made him feel sophisticated. 'I like it.'

'No you don't, it's not sweet enough for you,' Ignis guessed, having caught the little grimace Prompto had made. Ignis tipped two spoonfuls of sugar into the cup and stirred. 'Here. Try it again.'

Prompto tried again. Much better. 'That's good.'

'I find it's calming,' Ignis said as he made a second cup, this time with a thin slice of lemon in place of the milk. 'You could do with some calm in your life, you're all over the place. I've always marvelled at how much energy you seem to have, don't you ever wear yourself down?'

'Nope. Noct says I must have batteries shoved up my ass.'

Ignis snorted. 'His highness has a way with words.'

'I think he's just jealous that I can stay awake more than four hours at a time.'

'Possibly so. Shall we take these upstairs and have another go at watching the film?'

Ignis carried both cups up for them, and they settled back on the sofa. This time Prompto had no qualms with invading Ignis's personal space, and shuffled over to the other side of the sofa with his friend. He drew his feet up underneath himself and leaned against Ignis's side as they settled down with their drinks and started the film off again.

'You know, we should do this more often,' Prompto said, his head resting on Ignis's shoulder. 'This is nice.'

Ignis rested his cheek against Prompto's hair, and let his free arm slide around the younger man's shoulders to hold him close. 'I think we should. It has certainly been a memorable evening.'

Prompto smiled, and they finished their drinks while snuggled up together on the sofa. When Skyfall was over Quantum of Solace began, and they began picking out continuity errors again, and wondering how Noctis would look with glasses, to make him look more like Q. When Ignis turned to the blond man to point out another error he paused, and smiled. Prompto was snoring softly, melted against his side. Ignis pulled the blanket off the back of the sofa and tucked it around Prompto's shoulders, holding the other close and protectively. Yes, he definitely wanted to do this again.

-

The royal convoy returned early in the morning a few days later. Ignis and Prompto were both at the front of the line waiting to greet them, and though Ignis would have liked to have been the one to open the door and be first to glimpse Noctis, an appointed servant did the honours. And even after that Noctis was firstly greeted by his father, with a quick embrace and a few hushed words, presumably asking how things went. King Regis seemed satisfied, but the man was frowning and touched a hand to Noctis's face. Noctis began shaking his head. Ignis wondered what that was about. He wasn't kept waiting long; as soon as Noctis noticed him and Prompto he said something else to his father then headed in their direction.

'Hey guys, miss me?' he asked, first going to Prompto for a hug.

'You've only been gone four days,' Prompto said with a roll of his eyes, then he broke into a grin. 'Of course I missed you, idiot! But what the hell have you been doing to yourself?'

Ignis frowned, and found himself mirroring the king's action by cupping Noctis's cheek. There was a nasty scratch across it, directly under Noctis's right eye. The prince shifted uncomfortably.

'Yeah. You were right about boring being safe. On the way back our camp was attacked.'

Ignis felt his heart racing. 'We should get you to a healer. Are you hurt anywhere else?'

'I'm fine, I swear,' Noctis said, smiling softly and placing a hand over Ignis's on his cheek. 'I was looked over by the healer we took with us, and I've had potions.'

Ignis frowned, and gently ran the pad of his thumb over Noctis's cheek; the wound was still raw, still _bleeding_. 'You've had potions?'

'Yeah. They're not…I don't know, the healer said that maybe they need time to close up? For some reason the potion didn't work on the scratch. It worked fine on the broken ribs, but-'

'Broken ribs?' Ignis spluttered. 'Right. Bed. Now.'

'They're pretty much healed, though,' Noctis complained. 'I want to join the council, my father wants an update from Solheim.'

Ignis sighed and placed a hand on his charge's shoulder. 'You look dead on your feet, highness. I'm sure the king will accept your apologies and let you rest. I hate to think what time you set out this morning to get here so early.'

'Camp was attacked at about three in the morning, and we packed up right after we'd all got patched up. I didn't really get much sleep after that, the scratch was a bit sore.'

'That scratch worries me,' Ignis muttered, peering at it again. Three parallel cuts that still had bubbles of fresh blood. 'I think another review from a healer is warranted.'

Noctis groaned. 'Well, make Gladio go too, he's got a matching set on his hand.'

'Oh don't worry, I'll be making sure both of you get medical attention,' Ignis said with a small smile, pressing his hand to Noctis's back, trying to guide him toward the door and therefore the medical wing.

But Noctis was stubborn. 'No. I convinced my father that I was okay to sit it on the debriefing council. I'm going to be a king someday, Ignis, I can't go limping off to a healer over a scratch.'

'Highness-'

'Ignis, it is literally a scratch,' Noctis said. 'I know you worry, and I do appreciate it, but I'll be fine.'

Ignis sighed, but there was no arguing with the prince when he was like this. In a way it made him proud to know that his prince took his duties seriously. On the other hand it made him want to smash his head against the wall that Noctis didn't take his health quite so seriously.

'You at least might want a plaster or something for that, it's starting to drip,' Prompto said.

Noctis swiped angrily at his cheek, wincing a little when he touched the open wound. 'I'll grab something on the way.'

Both Noctis and Gladiolus were herded to a side room and Ignis fussed over them, firstly suturing Noctis's cheek and then wrapping a bandage around Gladiolus's right hand which also had a set of three parallel cuts that were wet with blood. Once Ignis was satisfied he followed the two men to the meeting room.

Noctis took the seat beside his father who was sat at the head of the table, Gladiolus sat beside him, Cor to the king's left. The rest of the party that had gone to Solheim seated themselves at the long, polished black glass table and so Ignis and Prompto found themselves near the opposite end.

'Firstly I would like to thank you all for the way you conducted yourselves as you represented Lucis. I have been in contact with the king of Solheim and he had nothing but praise for you all,' King Regis said, then turned to his son. Concern briefly flashed in his eyes as he glanced at the covered scratch, then he smiled. 'And special congratulations to my son. Apparently the prince of Solheim was very taken with you, and is already asking when you'll be back. He says next time he won't be beaten at a chocobo race.'

Noctis grinned. 'He'll never beat me.'

'That's the spirit,' the king muttered to his son. 'Whatever the case, the meeting was a success and the bonds between our nations have been strengthened. You did us proud.'

There was a round of applause for Noctis who couldn't hide his blush and look of embarrassment.

'Now, I've heard from Solheim, but what were your impressions?' the king asked, sipping his mug of coffee and looking pointedly to Noctis's; his son appeared exhausted, he needed the caffeine boost.

Noctis took the hint and raised his own cup to his lips before answering. 'The king was pretty desperate to keep us happy. They gave us the best rooms, they gave us a tour of the beaches and even showed me their crystal. Obvious it's dead, but they didn't have to do that.'

The king hummed. 'Most likely they were hoping you could restore it.'

'Well, they're disappointed then. I admit I tried, but there was no energy in it. It was just a huge rock.'

'Of course. The nations that have lost their crystals sill live in hope, though. Let's just pray that hope doesn't turn to resentment toward us.'

Noctis shrugged. 'They were nice even after I couldn't fix the crystal. And the prince was pretty cool.'

King Regis smiled. 'My son actually socialising. I'll be damned.'

Noctis blushed again.

'Now, about this attack on the camp,' the king said. 'Where, when, how? And was anybody hurt?'

Cor sighed and ran a large hand through his closely cropped hair. His failure to protect the prince still stung badly. 'Before sunrise the camp was attacked by a pack of Sabertusks. Very big Sabertusks. They were stealthy too, hid in the shadows so the sentries didn’t see them until it was too late. They tore through the camp, a few of my men were a bit battered, but there were no fatalities.'

The king tipped his head to his right, toward his son. Cor understood.

'His highness woke up and came out to help with the fighting. I didn't notice until after he was injured; the Sabertusks were drawn to the light of his phantom swords in the darkness and they attacked him en masse. He got crushed by one that leaped on him and swiped his face, almost took his bloody eye out. He was lucky. I'm…I'm sorry, your majesty. And your highness. I should have done more.'

'You've never been an idiot Cor, don't start now,' the king said with a small smile. 'My son can be reckless, we're all aware of this. And if he sees people in danger he'll try to help. It was an unfortunate incident but you had a healer on hand so there's no lasting damage done.'

'Your majesty,' Cor said miserably, still feeling terrible. He exchanged a quick glance with Gladiolus who was wearing the same expression. Under the table Gladiolus reached for Noctis's hand and gave it a little squeeze in apology, to which Noctis frowned at him. He shared his father's views; it was nobody's fault.

The king continued; 'I have to wonder, though. Sabertusks aren't usually that intelligent to sneak up on a party.'

Ignis cleared his throat, drawing the attention to himself. 'I've been researching Sabertusks recently, and it seems that certain subgroups have employed intelligent communication techniques and are capable of working as an effective team. It's not beyond the realms of possibility they were able to camouflage themselves in the shadows of the trees and take the camp by surprise.'

King Regis frowned. 'Well that helps me sleep at night. But thank you, Scientia.'

Ignis nodded.

'On that happy note I think we can adjourn. You've all had a rough day so far, I'd suggest taking the rest of the day off and resting.' The king looked pointedly at Cor and his son. 'Both of you. I don't want to see you again today until dinner. Understood?'

'Yes,' both of them muttered.

Noctis was beyond tired. He had managed to make it through the meeting, but keeping his eyes open was a chore as he shuffled out of the meeting room. Gladiolus noticed, and bent down in front of him.

'Climb on.'

'You're tired too,' Noctis pointed out, stumbling slightly as he lost his balance.

Prompto was there with a steadying hand. 'Come on buddy, you're five seconds away from passing out. 'Sides you're tiny, he won't even feel you. Just let the big guy do his job.'

Reluctantly Noctis climbed onto Gladiolus's back, grateful for the lift even if he felt guilty for being a burden. Gladiolus seemed okay, though, and the four of them made their way up to their floor. Noctis was asleep by the time they reached his bedroom, but he stirred as he was set down on the bed and Ignis began undressing him.

'Sorry, your highness. If you're awake would you prefer to dress yourself?' Ignis asked.

'Not completely useless,' Noctis said with a smile, wincing as the action pulled at his cheek.

Ignis frowned. 'I want to look at that again when you're ready.'

'Fine,' Noctis said, starting to get himself undressed.

Ignis turned away, but not fast enough to miss the fading bruises on his charge's narrow ribcage. To qualm his worry he went over to Gladiolus who was leaning against the wall watching the exchange. 'Let me see your hand again.'

'It's fine, Iggy, my own fault for not wearing two gloves. You're always telling me that I don't wear enough clothes to give proper protection,' Gladiolus said, but he let the younger man unwrap the bandage and even Gladiolus looked concerned to see it was still fresh with blood.

'Weird,' Prompto said, leaning over Ignis's shoulder to get a look. 'Why isn't it healing? Even without potions they should have scabbed over by now, right? They're not that deep.'

'One would think,' Ignis mused, gently tracing the slices on the back of Gladiolus's hand. The skin around them was warm and inflamed, possibly signalling an infection. He went to the medicine cabinet in Noctis's en suite and brought a tube of antiseptic cream. 'This might help. I suggest you rest too, Gladio. We'll see how it's doing once you wake up.'

'I don't need a nap,' Gladiolus said, wincing as Ignis spread the cream over the sore wound.

'Tough guy, you're looking a bit pale there,' Prompto said, nudging the larger man with his elbow. 'The king told you to take the rest of the day off. What more do you want? Etro herself to come and tell you to sleep?'

Gladiolus huffed but didn't disagree when Ignis wrapped his hand in fresh bandage and herded him out of the room and to his own bed.

Prompto grabbed the tube of antiseptic cream and went over to Noctis's bed, where the prince had dressed himself in a shirt and shorts and was sitting up in bed under the covers, gazing out of the window. Prompto took a moment to observe him; pale, like Gladiolus had been, and looking far more exhausted than he usually did. From the way he held himself Prompto was surprised that the prince hadn't simply collapsed as soon as he was in bed. He sat down beside Noctis and smiled. 'Got something for ya.'

'You're going to do it?' Noctis asked.

'Hey, it's just smearing cream over your face, nothing I haven't done before whenever you fell asleep first at sleepovers. And you _always_ fell asleep first. And got up last.'

'You guys just don't try hard enough,' Noctis said, but didn't offer up a protest while Prompto tended to his cheek.

'It's only shallow, it should heal pretty quick,' Prompto said, putting the lid back on the tube and tossing it haphazardly onto the bedside table. 'And hopefully won't scar, chicks dig scars and I can't have you being more handsome than me.'

'In your dreams, chocobo.'

Prompto snorted and kicked him lightly. 'Oi, if you're well enough to tease me then you're well enough to help me muck out the chocobo stables.'

'I can help,' Noctis said, suddenly looking a little more alert.

Prompto panicked, hoping Ignis hadn't heard that. 'No! No way, Ignis will have me hung. Sleep. That's an order.'

'You can't give me orders, I'm your prince,' Noctis pointed out, but he let Prompto fluff his pillows and sank down into them. Suddenly his eyes were hard to keep open. He felt a touch at his forehead, and smiled as he realised Prompto was stroking his hair.

'Best friend order, got it? Those orders override social status. It's when your best friend knows what's best for you and orders you to do something to make you feel better.'

'Like the time you ordered me to eat Nutella straight from the jar?' Noctis asked.

'Exactly like that, yeah. Made you feel better, didn't it?'

'Yeah,' Noctis said sleepily, a smile on his lips.

'Well there you go then. I know what I'm talking about sometimes.'

'Lots of times,' Noctis corrected, his voice barely above a whisper as he drifted off to sleep.

Footsteps behind him made Prompto turn around, and he offered Ignis a smile. 'Sleeping Beauty is all tucked up. How's Gladio?'

Ignis sighed and shook his head, leaning against one of the posts of Noctis's bed. 'There's something odd going on here, he's asleep too. I didn't expect him to actually fall asleep. In all the years I've known him Gladio has never napped during the day. Now he's out like a light.'

'Guess they just had a rough night?' Prompto said, but if Ignis was worrying then his own stomach felt a little unsettled. 'Well, I've got to go see to the chocobos but I'll be free in an hour or so. Wanna pretend the king was talking to us when he said we could have the day off?'

Ignis gave him a funny look. 'Why would I do that?'

'Because The Spy Who Loved Me is calling?' Prompto tempted.

A small smile flickered on Ignis's lips. 'I suppose my research could wait.'

'Awesome! One hour, my bedroom. I'll bring the popcorn, you make some of that tea again, 'kay?'

'Very well,' Ignis said, unable to hide the little flare of excitement within him. At skipping his duties, at getting to see a Bond film, and at getting to spend a few more hours just him and Prompto. It was strange just how much he had come to enjoy the blond man's company.

-

'I love Jaws,' Prompto said, his mouth full of popcorn. 'I mean, how inspired is he as a villain? Steel teeth, so cool!'

Ignis chuckled and helped himself to a fluffy kernel. 'Certainly one of the more memorable.'

'I used to be terrified of him when I was a kid,' Prompto continued. 'Like, petrified he was standing outside my bedroom door. For like a month after I first saw this film I couldn't get up in the night to go and pee.'

Ignis's chuckles dissolved into the most undignified snort of laughter he'd ever made. 'You couldn’t leave the room?'

'Not when it was dark, no! What if he was standing there? Look at me; I'm scrawny now, but when I was seven I was like a tiny little weed. He'd have snapped me in two!'

'That is the most adorable thing I've ever heard. I wished I'd known you back then,' Ignis said, wrapping an arm around Prompto's shoulders.

'Wasn't adorable, it was embarrassing!' Prompto said with a blush, leaning into Ignis and stuffing a handful of popcorn into his mouth to make himself feel better. 'What about you? Weren't you ever scared of something like that when you were a kid?'

'I…' Ignis paused. He had been scared, of course, but over slightly darker things than movie characters. He glanced down at Prompto, who was watching him with curious blue eyes. 'I used to worry about the prince. And worry that I wasn't good enough.'

Prompto frowned and sat up a little straighter. 'Why the hell would you worry about that? You're the smartest person in the universe, why wouldn't you be good enough for him?'

Ignis let out a humourless laugh. 'Thank you. But I assure you I'm not the smartest person in the universe. Not even the world. But I tried my hardest for him, I just always worried that my best wouldn't be good enough and that one day my failings would get him hurt, or worse.'

Prompto reached out a hand for his and squeezed. 'And you used to worry about stuff like that when you were a kid?'

Ignis shrugged. 'I was always told that I needed to protect him. That I needed to study hard and be the best I could for him. I never knew any other way, and the fear of being inadequate ran deep.'

'Did you ever tell him? Did you tell anyone?'

'I couldn't burden him with it. It's my job to be the best.'

Prompto looked up at Ignis, seeing him in a new light for the first time. Ignis wasn't as self assured as he'd always thought. Ignis worried about being good enough, just like him. They were so similar, where he'd thought they were complete opposites. It was comforting in a way. 'Well, If it makes any difference I think you're plenty good enough. You've saved his royal butt more times than I can count.'

'I suppose,' Ignis said, and settled back with Prompto curled up at his side.

'Oh, this bit! This bit now coming up rocks! So awesome! She's going to-'

'Ignis?' a small voice from the doorway called.

Both Ignis and Prompto jumped, not expecting anyone to enter the room. They both looked over the back of the sofa, to where Noctis was hovering by the door, leaning against the frame. He looked pale, and he was shivering despite the fact he had a blanket wrapped around his shoulders.

'Highness?' Ignis asked.

'Sorry, I didn't realise you were…it's okay,' Noctis said, turning to go.

'Oi, come back. There's plenty of space for you here,' Prompto said, though he felt a pang of sadness. As much as he loved Noctis it had been nice just him and Ignis for a bit. With Noctis there Ignis would spend more time talking to the dark haired man instead of him.

Noctis looked like he couldn't quite make up his mind whether to come to them or leave, he seemed a bit disoriented.

'Highness?' Ignis asked again. 'What's wrong?'

'I…I don't feel very well,' Noctis said with a frown, as if he couldn't quite understand it himself.

Ignis was on his feet in seconds and Prompto was only a heartbeat behind him. The words propelled them into action and Ignis was by the prince's side in seconds, pressing a hand to his forehead.

'You're burning up. You need to be resting in bed, highness.'

'I…okay. I'll go back,' Noctis said, pushing himself way from the door frame and swaying dangerously.

Prompto was there to steady him, wrapping an arm around the slim form of his friend. 'Whoa there, take it easy. You okay to walk?'

'I think so?' Noctis said.

Ignis peered down at him, noting the way Noctis's face had paled further now that he no longer had the wall to cling to. He could see the fever-bright shine in his prince's eyes. 'I don't think so.'

'Shall I get Gladio?' Prompto asked worriedly. He could feel the heat of his friend's body now that Noctis was pressed close to him.

'No need,' Ignis said, reaching down and simply gathering Noctis up. Perhaps not with as much grace as Gladiolus could have done, but for Ignis it wasn't that difficult to carry Noctis bridal style to his room, and set him down on the large bed. Ignis sat down on the edge of the bed beside him and brushed dark hair away from his face. That was when he saw it; purple veins creeping out from under the plaster. He gently pulled it back and gasped; the wound was weeping straw coloured plasma, and had turned a nasty yellow colour.

'What's wrong?' Noctis asked, his voice slurred.

'Nothing. It's…I just need to check on Gladio, I'll be right back,' Ignis said, replacing the plaster. He caught Prompto's arm on the way out and lowered his voice. 'Keep an eye on him, don't let him out of bed.'

'Gotcha,' Prompto said, and crawled onto the bed beside his friend.

Ignis hurried down the corridor to Gladiolus's room and knocked, silently praying that the tattooed man would answer. There was only silence. Ignis opened the door and switched on the light; Gladiolus was lying in bed, and he'd kicked the covers off at some point. Ignis went over to him and pressed a hand to Gladiolus's damp forehead. Then he gently took the man's injured hand, not unsurprised to see the same purple veins spiralling out from the wound.

Well, at least Gladiolus hadn't ventured out seeking help, Ignis was positive he couldn't have carried the larger man back to bed. But that thought brought him no joy; Gladiolus was breathing hard, his chest rising and falling shallowly as he fought against the sickness ravaging his body.

'I'll be back soon,' Ignis promised him, then returned to Noctis's room.

'Ignis,' Prompto said, as soon as he entered. 'Ignis he's not making any sense, he keeps mumbling.'

Ignis swallowed hard, and watched Prompto holding Noctis for a few moments. The prince looked so young in Prompto's arms, so weak and exhausted, and his eyes were half lidded as he muttered something incoherent under his breath. Prompto turned panicked blue eyes on him, begging him for answers.

'Prom? Do you remember a few days ago when I told you about those Sabertusks? The ones that were attacking travellers just outside Lucis?'

'Yeah, you said…oh god. You don’t think…?' Prompto clung to Noctis tighter.

'It seems like too much of a coincidence. The Sabertusks that Cor described were cunning and organised, and larger than usual. And it appears their scratches are poisonous. Gladio is sick, too.'

Prompto's eyes shone with tears and he looked up at Ignis with a lost look on his face. 'But you said…you said that nobody survives an attack by them. So it can't be them, right? Because Noct and Gladio can't die. They _can't_. Ignis they can't die.'

'They won't die,' Ignis said, wishing he could make the promise come true. But for all his research every single victim of the evolved Sabertusks' claws had died.

'You were studying them, haven't you found a cure yet?' Prompto asked desperately.

'No. I told you I didn't have any samples, so I-' The answer came to him in a flash. 'I need a sample. I need to go and find one of these creatures and extract an antidote.'

' _You_ need to go?' Prompto asked. 'Are you kidding me? A pack of Sabertusks will rip you to shreds. No offence.'

It was hard not to take offence. Ignis would admit that he was by no means a warrior, but he had training sessions with Gladiolus. He was fit, and he could wield daggers with deadly precision. 'I'll manage. And I'll take an escort with me. I need to go to ensure they don't bring back a regular Sabertusk.'

Prompto still looked worried, he was chewing his lower lip frantically. 'I'm coming with you, then.'

'It's-'

'If you say it's too dangerous then I'm just going to turn it right back on you. They're my friends too, you know. I can help, I can pick them off from a distance so they never get near us. I can be your escort, Ignis. Look at him,' Prompto waved a hand to Noctis, who had fallen unconscious and was breathing heavily; a thin sheen of sweat on his brow. 'They're not going to last much longer. If we wait for guards to get ready we'll lose time. And a larger party moves slower, you know that. We can do it, Ignis.'

'Just the two of us?' Ignis asked, feeling panic rising within him. He had never done anything so bold before, and with only Prompto as back up…but then he'd seen the young man in training, knew he was lightning fast and his aim was flawless. When he thought about it Prompto would make an excellent partner for the expedition. 'Okay. I'll alert the healers, perhaps they can slow the venom or at least make them comfortable. Meet me down in the front courtyard as soon as you can, bring everything you need.'

Prompto nodded. 'Got it. We can do this, Ignis.'

Ignis prayed he was right. After bidding Noctis and Gladiolus goodbye he nipped into his own bedroom and collected together a bag of weapons and healing items. Without Noctis to draw from he couldn't materialise daggers and couldn't cast healing magic. They were like any other soldiers now, having to fight without the aid of the magic they had grown used to. It would be a good test of their skills, though Ignis was still worried about how well he and Prompto would synchronise; they both used ranged attacks and with the frantic unpredictability of Sabertusks there was the chance of them hitting each other if they weren't careful. They were going to have to trust each other, read each other, and fight for each other. It was going to be tough; Ignis didn't really know Prompto's style or mannerisms, but he was going to have to learn quickly or they were all going to die.

He then sounded the alarm and sent healers up to Noctis ad Gladiolus's rooms, confident that they would alert the king. Ignis really didn't want to speak with the king in case the man managed to talk him out of what he was doing. There was a chance that he might hold them back and insist on planning out a mission, but there simply wasn't time. They needed to leave as soon as possible.

The last item on his list was a car. Ignis ventured down to the large basement garage that housed the royal fleet, and selected one of the black cars large enough to hold a Sabertusk in the boot, then he drove around to the front of the palace where Prompto was sat on a low wall with his arms folded for warmth. Ignis drove up beside him.

'You ready?'

'Haven't got much of a choice,' Prompto said, attempting a grin. He slung a bag onto the back seat, the heavy metallic thud as it landed indicated guns and bullets. Then he slung himself into the shotgun seat and closed the door, barely having time to buckle up before Ignis floored it.

Prompto turned to Ignis and observed him for a few seconds; the other man's jaw was set tight and his hands were gripping the wheel tightly as he stared intently out of the windscreen ahead. He'd never seen Ignis so tense. 'Want me to drive?'

'What?' Ignis asked sharply, turning to Prompto as if he'd only just realised he was there. 'No. No I'm fine. I know the route they took.'

'What if the Sabertusks have moved on?' Prompto pointed out.

'They likely will have. But if we start from the camp where they were last seen we can track them.'

Well it made sense. Prompto sat back in his seat and watched the streets of Insomnia fly past. It was rush hour and lines of cars were trying to get out of the city to go to their own homes and enjoy their evenings. Ignis wove in and out of traffic like a madman, he jumped red lights, he blasted the horn to get other cars to move out of his way. Prompto's heart was pounding the whole time, until finally traffic thinned as they got out into the countryside, leaving the city streets of Insomnia in their wake.

'Ignis, why don't I take over?' Prompto tried again as they swerve to avoid hitting a deer. 'You're going to get us killed before we leave Lucis at this rate.'

'I'm _fine_ ,' Ignis snapped again.

Prompto recoiled a little, his old fears resurfacing. Ignis clearly didn't even trust him to drive, so what use was it going to be when they came to fighting? The older man didn't trust him, and why should he? Prompto had come to Lucis illegally, had been a wanted criminal and even now carried an outlawed weapon. Didn't really scream "trust me". And though Prompto had always felt that Ignis didn't trust him, it hurt more this time because he really thought they'd been getting along for the last few days. Watching movies, hanging out, joking around…it had been nice. He'd felt as if for the first time Ignis really saw him as a friend. But clearly trusting someone to pop a movie in the DVD player was a different kind of trust to having them drive you or having them watch your back in a fight. Things that actually mattered. Prompto was under no disillusion that out of their group of friends he was the last person Ignis would want as back up. Ignis probably wished that Prompto was lying in bed sick in place of the prince, or Gladiolus.

'I'm sorry,' Ignis said in a small voice.

When Prompto glanced over he saw that Ignis's whole body had changed. He was no longer tense, no longer hunched over the wheel. The man was leaning back in his seat, one elbow resting on the window ledge with his hand in his hair as he stared morosely out of the windscreen.

'You don't have to apologise to someone like me,' Prompto said.

Emerald eyes flickered to him then back to the road. 'What do you mean by "somebody like you"?'

Prompto shifted uncomfortably in his seat, wrapping arms around his body and turning to look out of the window. 'You know what I mean.'

'Prom, don't even think about that. This is a dangerous mission, I need to know that we can trust each other.'

'Why would I have an issue with trust?' Prompto said sharply, more emotional than he would have liked. But godammit his friends were edging closer to death with every second that passed. He was scared. 'How could I not trust you? You're Ignis Stupeo Scientia. You're smart as hell, awesome with knives, a great strategist. You'll save my ass a hundred times over. But what about me? Do you trust me to have your back out there? I'm just a criminal, Ignis. My claim to fame is smuggling illegal weapons into Lucis.'

'You might have started out as a felon, but that's not how I see you, Prompto,' Ignis said quietly. 'I see a strong young man who always speaks his heart. Someone that will always fight for what he believes in, and is fiercely loyal to his friends. You may not have the refined fighting styles of his highness or Gladio, but what you lack in discipline you make up for in enthusiasm And sheer unpredictability. I trust you out there. We'll find the Sabertusks and together we'll bring one back and save the prince and Gladio.'

Prompto didn't quite know what to say. 'You don't think my fighting style is refined?'

Ignis choked out a laugh. 'You spend more time sliding about on the floor than you do standing upright.'

'Hey, it helps me aim,' Prompto said, but a small smile was blossoming on his lips. 'You really think I'm a loyal friend?'

'Very much so,' Ignis said, then turned briefly to Prompto. 'You really think I'm smart as hell?'

Prompto snorted. 'As if you have to ask, book worm. Always thought you were some rich kid toff, and you were looking down on me and thought I was a bad influence on Noct.'

'I'll admit I thought you were a bad influence, but then I saw how the prince came out of his shell. He used to be so shy that he'd barely talk to anyone. But you helped him grow. He needed someone like you. I was just jealous that it couldn't be me to do that for him,' Ignis said. 'I never looked down on you. I admired you. And I was scared that you thought I was too stuck up, and boring.'

'Well…I did a bit,' Prompto admitted, smiling sheepishly. 'But you're not. You're really not.'

'Thank you,' Ignis said softly.

'Now. Are you sure you don't want me to drive?'

'Positive. I've seen you drive, and I'd like to arrive in one piece.'

'I take it back; you're no fun at all,' Prompto said, but he was smiling as he sank back in his seat, desperate to arrive so they could get the damn beast that had hurt their friends.

The campsite was easy to find; the fire that had been lit was still in place, with blackened logs hardly disturbed by the attack. There were still bits and pieces left behind in the rush to leave, which gave them a good indication of where to start looking. Ignis drew the car to a stop by the cold fire close to the tree line of a dark wooded area, and they equipped themselves with weapons and supplies just as the sun was starting to dip low on the horizon.

'How do we find them?' Prompto asked, loading his gun and slinging it over his shoulder.

'They've left footprints. As smart as they are they haven't been able to completely hide their tracks. Let's get moving, hopefully we can tie this up before it gets dark. I'm not sure I'd like to be in these woods after darkness falls.'

'Yeah, amen to that,' Prompto said. He'd heard that the nightlife monsters were generally a different class of beast to those that roamed during the day. He'd never really been out at night to find out and he didn't really want to start tonight.

Tracking the pack proved ridiculously easy, and they followed the trail all the way to a small clearing with a sheltered opening to underground.

'This would be their den, I assume,' Ignis said, crouching down by the opening and shining his torch into the darkness.

'Uh, is that safe?' Prompto asked, hovering behind him. 'What if one comes rushing out and slashes your face?'

'Then the prince and I will have matching injuries,' Ignis said.

'You know, you always go on at Noct for being reckless, what do you think you're doing now?'

'Do you have a better idea?' Ignis asked somewhat impatiently. He was well aware they were on the clock, and could vividly picture his friends in their sick beds, writhing from pain and fever.

'Actually I do. But you're gonna need to stand back,' Prompto said.

Ignis raised an eyebrow, but he trusted the blond so he got to his feet and stood back. 'Very well.'

'Get ready in case they come spilling out,' Prompto said, aiming his gun at the opening.

'You're not going to-' Ignis asked, but it was too late.

Prompto fired down the hole. The shot rang out loud in the stillness of the forest, and for a long minute afterward both men stood in battle stance, waiting for the attack. It never came.

'Well that was rather anticlimactic,' Ignis said, finally deciding there was no immediate threat and relaxing his posture a little.

'Yeah. Guess they're not home,' Prompto said, swinging his gun arm a little and flexing his hand to get the feeling back in it. 'Now what do we do? We need to bring one of them back so you can make an antidote.'

'We'll just have to search, see if we can pick up the trail again and…' Ignis fell silent, frowning.

'What's-'

Ignis pressed a finger to his lips to silence the other man, then frowned again. 'It's too quiet.'

'Too quiet?' Prompto asked, not understanding the significance. 'Well, we're miles from Lucis or Solheim, really this is just no man's land. Countryside as far as the eye can see. No traffic, no machines…no birds.' Realisation hit Prompto like a gunshot, and he had his gun back in his hand just as he saw a flash of movement to Ignis's right. 'Get down!' he yelled and rushed forward, using Ignis as a springboard to leap into an aerial attack, firing off shots as the Sabertusk came bounding out from where it had been hiding.

Ignis fell to his knees as he hadn't been expecting Prompto to do that, but as soon as he heard the gunfire he was back on his feet and throwing knives into the huge beast. It was like nothing he had ever seen; the pictures he had been provided with didn't do the beast justice. It was like a normal Sabertusk but almost half as big again, and the tusks that gave the creature its name were longer, and dripping with saliva that was no doubt as toxic as the venom its razor sharp claws carried. The creature was a dark shade of reddish brown, perfect for camouflage in the trees where it made its home. No wonder they hadn't seen the bugger hiding.

Without the power of Noctis's magic Ignis ran out of knives fairly quickly, though he made sure each one counted. One went into the beast's left eye, another into its throat and two into the soft underbelly. All the time Prompto was firing off shots that kept it staggering back, and by the time it finally collapsed on shaking legs it had taken more lead that was possible. Ignis retrieved his knives, pulling them free from tightly packed muscle and wiping them clean on the Sabertusk's fur coat.

'Etro, I didn't think it was gonna die,' Prompto said, sitting down heavily beside him and wiping sweat from his brow. 'Please tell me it's dead.'

Ignis checked a pulse; there was nothing. 'It's dead.'

'Thank Etro, not sure I could have gone much longer. How the hell are we gonna get it back to the car? It must weigh a tonne.'

'We'll drag it. A few minutes of discomfort is a small price to pay for saving their lives.'

'Yeah. Yeah I know,' Prompto said, sighing as he looked at the savage beast. 'Looks like I've finally found something to replace my fear of Jaws with.'

Ignis smiled and nudged his friend in the ribs. 'Are you going to be unable to use the bathroom in the middle of the night? I'm sure we could arrange someone to sit with you at night if you require it.'

Prompto flushed and shoved the older man back. 'Shut up!'

Ignis chuckled and got to his feet. 'Don't worry, Prom, I promise not to tell the others when they wake up. You'd never hear the last…of it…' Ignis froze, staring out into the darkness of the trees.

'Iggy?' Prompto asked, following his line of sight. Oh shit. Oh _shit_.

'Well they are pack animals, I was foolish to have counted our victory so soon,' Ignis said. 'Prompto, are you ready?'

'Need to reload,' Prompto said nervously.

'Do it quickly. I'll cover you.'

'Be careful,' Prompto said, his shaky hands fumbling for ammo. He wasn't used to having to reload under so much pressure.

Ignis turned an ironic smile his way. 'It's nice to hear someone saying it to me for a change.' And then he was gone, rushing forward to keep the Sabertusk at bay. He had a dozen knives at his disposal but considering how much it had required to take down the first one he wasn't entirely convinced he was armed well enough. The first knife hit the Sabertusk between the eyes and the beast swayed and skidded n the dirt as it rushed for him. For a brief second Ignis wondered if it was fall, but it picked up speed, it's red eyes glowing with anger. Another knife to the throat, one to a leg which slowed it down a touch, but it was still coming fast. Still coming for Prompto and since Ignis hadn't heard gun shots then he knew Prompto wasn't ready to receive their unwanted guest. He was going to have to hold it off longer. He aimed another knife, sweat trickling down his forehead as he prepared to throw - when something heavy slammed into his side and sent him crashing to the ground. It felt as if he'd been hit by a truck, and he lay in the dirt dazed for a second, hot thick blood on the side of his face where his glasses had broken and cut into his skin.

'Ignis!' Prompto yelled, but Ignis could barely hear him over the pounding pulse in his ears.

He felt sick and dizzy, but some survival instinct kicked in and he rolled away, just as a paw slammed into the dirt next to him, long, razor sharp claws raking the leaves barely an inch to the left of his ear. That had almost been his face. The thought made him push himself up, and away from the Sabertusk as it hit out again with its claws. Etro, if this had happened to Noctis he wondered how the young prince had managed to get away with only a slice to the face. The answer came to him easily -Noctis had Gladiolus and Cor protecting him; two trained soldiers. Ignis and Prompto were two non-military, barely trained fighters, taking on a pack of enhanced Sabertusks. What had he been thinking? He was going to get them both killed. Fear propelled him into action, the need to protect Prompto and get the younger man to safety overriding everything else.

Logically Prompto knew he should be firing at the Sabertusk Ignis had already weakened, since it would go down faster and get another one out of play. But he was instead attacking the one standing over Ignis's body and looking at the other man as if he were a tasty meal. Five bullets in the back tends to get something's attention, and the beast growled loudly as it turned away from Ignis and toward the gunner.

'Yeah, eat lead,' Prompto muttered, firing off a few more rounds, almost slipping from the recoil. There was a reason he usually ran about while firing, it made it easier to balance. But the clearing was small, and there was the other Sabertusk to worry about too. He could see it in the corner of his eye, licking its wounds and howling in pain.

The other one, however, was enraged. It bounded toward him and Prompto kept firing as he backed up, knowing that there was no way he could outrun the thing. He hadn't taken into account the dead Sabertusk, though, and had forgotten it was there at all. His foot struck it and he toppled over backward, yelping in surprise as he went down hard. And then the beast was just there, fast as lightning. It swiped out with a claw and Prompto tried to scramble away but it caught his leg, the claws ripping through his jeans and biting down into flesh. Prompto screamed in pain, and fell back into the dirt as white hot agony flashed through his leg. This was it; this was how he was going to die. Mauled by a mutant Sabertusk.

Instead of another attack, however, the Sabertusk fell down on him heavily, almost crushing him. He grunted in pain as the beast fell on his wounded leg, but he realised he was alive and that was enough for him. His gun was a few inches out of reach but when he stretched as far as he could his fingertips brushed the handle. He heard Ignis cry out in pain and that spurred him on. He had to help. He managed to hook a finger around the trigger and then it was a simple affair to pull the gun into his hand. He was still pinned down by the dead Sabertusk on his legs but Ignis and the other beast were fighting off to his right, and even lying down he was able to aim since the Sabertusk was so huge. He fired off shots, figuring that any part of the body he hit would add damage to take the beast down.

It seemed to take a lifetime but with the random shots fired from Prompto and Ignis daring a few close encounters to pull his knives free from the beast's body, finally the Sabertusk gave a final howl of pain and sank to the ground.

Ignis rushed over to Prompto and with a grunt of effort rolled the Sabertusk off his friend. Then his legs went out from under him and he collapsed into the dirt beside Prompto, trembling from exhaustion and fear.

'Are you…are you okay?' he asked.

'Bastard got me,' Prompto said, with a shaky smile. 'But you're gonna make an antidote, right?'

Ignis's face flashed with fear and he was quick to check the wound; it was shallow, but he knew that even potions couldn't close it up and that it would be fatal if he didn't get Prompto the antidote soon. 'We need to get moving before more of them come. Neither of us is in any condition to fight right now, and we're wasting time.'

Ignis pushed himself to his feet, his whole body tired and bruised. He helped Prompto up, noting how the man favoured his left leg. He wasn't going to be much help dragging the Sabertusk back to the car. Prompto tried, though, he limped along and together with a lot of swearing and effort they managed to get one of the Sabertusks loaded into the back of the car, blood and filth soaking into the expensive interior. But neither cared. They didn't care about the car, or their ruined clothes, or the fact that they were both filthy and bruised and sweaty and bloodied. They were just happy to be back on the road, speeding toward Lucis with their prize.

With one hand on the wheel Ignis reached to the backseat and drew a potion from his bag. He handed the bottle to Prompto. 'Drink it. It might help with the pain.'

'Ah, thanks. But it won't heal it, right?'

'No. No it won't. But I swear I'll make the antidote, Prom, I promise I'll help you.'

Prompto smiled, already looking pale under the mask of dirt and blood. 'I know you will, buddy. Like I said; you're the smartest guy in the universe.'

Ignis grimaced. 'And I told you that I'm not.'

'You are to me,' Prompto said softly.

The rest of the journey was in comfortable silence, with Prompto sleeping most of the way. When they returned Ignis barked orders at guards to take the Sabertusk to his laboratory, and after checking Prompto's wound, which was still unhealed despite the potion, he sent the other man off to shower and then get to bed, knowing that a fever was only hours away and hoping that by resting early he could buy his friend a few more hours.

Prompto didn't listen to advice, and an hour later while Ignis was distilling the venom Prompto wandered in. He was clean at least, in fresh clothes, but looking distinctly paler as he sat down on a bench. 'How's it going?'

Emerald eyes filled with concern looked up at him. 'You should be in bed, you're going to start feeling ill soon enough.'

'And when I do then I'll go to bed,' Prompto promised. 'Anything I can do to help? I hate just laying around being useless. I need to do things.'

'Could you fill these test tubes with this liquid, please? Measure out five millilitres into each.'

'You trust me to do that?' Prompto asked, surprised. He'd been expecting to be asked to clean something or some other menial task.

'Your eyesight is second to none, and you have a steady hand. You're actually better suited than me to do it,' Ignis said with a small, tired smile. He'd washed up briefly, but he still wore his torn, filthy clothing. And he looked as exhausted as Prompto felt.

Prompto went over and took the pipette from his friend, measuring out the liquid as he had been instructed.

'Surprised to find you down here,' Ignis said, going over to check on the centrifuge. 'I'll admit I didn't expect you to sleep, but I'd have thought you'd have gone into Gladio or the prince's rooms to see them.'

Prompto swallowed hard, and focused hard on the task at hand. 'I did. Sort of. I went to Noct's door, anyway. There's a dozen healers in there, and his father. Gladio's room is packed too. They're…they're not doing good, Ignis. That's why I couldn't stay in my room. Even with the door shut I could hear them crying out in pain. I can't listen to that, I can't hear them dying and not do something to help…'

'It won't be much longer,' Ignis said, his stomach twisting at the thought of his friends in so much pain. 'The antidote is ready, you just need to pipette it in to those vials so they can be injected.'

'Alrighty then, let's do this,' Prompto said, taking the test tube full of straw coloured plasma from Ignis. With steady hands he drew up the exact amount into each vial, and Ignis gave each one a little shake, mixing the liquid so it was almost clear.

'Now we need to test it,' Ignis said, holding up a needle. 'Would you…?'

Prompto held out his arm. 'Of course. I trust you, Ignis. You're the smartest-'

'Don't say that until you're healed,' Ignis muttered, drawing the antidote up into the syringe. 'It'll just be a little scratch, sorry for the pain,' he said as he took Prompto's thin arm.

'After the scratch I got earlier think I can handle this. Worst part is how cold your hands are, you need to wear gloves or something, you're freezing!' Prompto said.

Ignis smiled. 'I'll bear that in mind. There, all done.' He pressed cotton wool down on the puncture site and taped it down.

Prompto rubbed his arm gently, it ached a little but otherwise it was fine. 'Okay so how do we know if it worked?'

A potion was handed to him. 'Drink this and if the wound heals we'll know.'

Prompto uncapped it and downed the potion in one. The familiar fizzy sensation ran through his body; it was different to the warmth of one of Noctis's healing spells, it felt cooler, as if ice was running through his veins. When he looked down through the shredded section of his jeans, however, the skin was pale and smooth. 'Alright! You did it!'

'I…I did, didn't I?' Ignis said, smiling to himself. 'Well, now to administer it to-'

Ignis was cut off as he found himself with an armful of Prompto. The blond had flung himself at him, and Ignis instinctively lifted him off the ground and spun him round a little before setting him back on the floor. He hadn't realised just how scared he had been, but now that they had the cure in their grasp he was able to register the fear, and he held the slender body of his friend tightly to him, breathing in the clean soapy scent of his hair as he crushed him to his chest.

'I was so scared…I thought I was going to lose you too.'

Prompto smiled and held the other man back just as tightly. _'You_ were scared? When I saw that damn Sabertusk going for you I thought my heart was gonna stop.'

They held each other for another long moment, before Ignis reluctantly drew back, smiling down at his friend. 'To think I thought you hated me…'

Prompto laughed. 'And I thought you hated me. We…we really screwed up. All these years we've been scared of each other…'

'Not any more. Certainly not anymore,' Ignis said, letting his arms fall away from Prompto. 'Now we know that it works we can save the others, though.'

'Right, come on, let's get moving.'

They went to Gladiolus first, and the healers parted for Ignis. Despite his young age he had proven himself on so many occasions that the royal staff usually went to him for help rather than the other way around. Ignis gave the larger man his injection, and for five long minutes everyone sat watching him.

Ignis had never seen Gladiolus look so ill, he had a pretty decent immune system and never seemed to come down with colds or flu. But now he was as white as a sheet, with dark shadows under his eyes as he fought for each breath. He tossed and turned under the covers, calling out words that Ignis couldn't make out. But as the minutes ticked by he began to calm down, and the purple veins that stood out from his wound began to fade. Eventually he was relaxed against the pillows, sleeping peacefully, and when a healer used an injectable version of a potion for him the wound on his hand healed up without even a scar.

Happy, they went to the next room, but found their way barred by Cor.

'His highness doesn't need more visitors. Sorry boys, the king wants to be with him in his final hours.'

Ignis noticed that the healers had all gone, probably sent away. He had a clear line of view to the bed, where Noctis was as fitful as Gladiolus had been, calling out and reaching up in the air for things that only he could see. The king was sat by his bedside, brushing his son's hair back and trying to soothe him.

'But we can help,' Prompto said. 'Ignis has made an antidote. He'll be fine.'

Cor frowned, and was about to repeat himself and get them to leave but the king had heard.

'You have an antidote?' King Regis asked, turning in his seat. 'Please, please Ignis if you can help him…'

Even though he'd seen it work twice already under the king's hopeful gaze Ignis worried it wouldn't work. That it would somehow kill the prince faster instead and steal the last few hours the king had with his son. But Prompto was there beside him, pushing him up to the bed and grinning.

'He can help, he's amazing. We went and killed the Sabertusks and he dragged it back and he did something sciency and then he healed me and Gladio and now he can do Noct too. He'll be fine, I promise. Come on Ignis, help him.'

Ignis swallowed hard and sat down on the side of the bed. Noctis looked even worse than Gladio had; his wound was on his cheek so the purple veins snaked down his throat, standing out harshly against the pale skin. The young man struggled for each breath as the virus attacked his organs, and his eyes were half lidded, staring out at nothing but glowing bright with fever. With shaky hands Ignis took the syringe and gently drew Noctis's thin arm into his lap.

'Please,' King Regis said, squeezing his son's other hand tightly.

Ignis nodded and plunged the needle in to Noctis's arm. The man barely reacted, save to moan as the fever ravaged his body again. Ignis busied himself taping cotton wool to the injection site and holding it tight to prevent it bruising.

'How long does it take?' The king asked.

'Not long, a few minutes. The purple veins should fade and then if we give him a potion the wound should heal. It did with Prompto and Gladio.'

The king nodded, and then motioned for Cor to bring over a potion injection.

For seven long minutes they all sat around the bed, watching as the veins paled to blue, then faded under Noctis's pale skin. The prince's breathing began to even out and soften, and he relaxed into sleep. When Ignis injected the potion into him the scratches on his cheek knitted together and faded away too, leaving smooth skin in its wake.

'Thank Etro…' the King breathed, leaping forward and gathering the prince up into his arms. There were tears in his eyes as he turned to Ignis. 'No, not Etro. Thank you, Ignis. And Prompto. You were foolish to go out and find those Sabertusks, you could have been killed. But thank you. I can’t thank you enough…'

Ignis finally got his shower, feeling shaky and exhausted but happier than he ever had in his life. He was towelling dry his hair and sending longing glances over to his bed when there was a knock at the door. He found his glasses and answered the door, smiling when he found himself face to face with Prompto.

'Hey,' the blond said.

'Hello,' Ignis said. 'How are you feeling?'

'All better. No pain, no fever, I'm good.'

Ignis smiled, relieved that his antidote had truly worked. 'I'm very glad.' His gaze travelled down to Prompto's hands, where he was holding two steaming cups of tea.

'So. I know you're probably tired, but I was thinking maybe we could grab a movie? Noct and Gladio are still sleeping, they don't need us. I'd say we've earned some down time after, you know, saving their butts.'

Suddenly he didn't feel tired at all. 'I'd like that very much.'

'Sweet!' Prompto said.

They went through to the blond's bedroom, where a new Bond movie had been set up ready. Ignis sat down and soon found Prompto snuggled right up by his side. He wrapped an arm around his friend, holding him close. How had he gone without this for so many years? How had he allowed his own fears of rejection stop him from truly befriending the blond? He could have kicked himself for letting it happen, for letting both of them believe the other hated them. They'd wasted so much time, but now they were going to make up for it. Ignis was sure of it. Prompto was as precious to him as Noctis and Gladio, and he would do anything for him.

'Oh, almost forgot! Close your eyes,' Prompto said, pulling way from his arms.

Ignis did so, with an amused smirk. 'What are you going to do to me?'

'Nothing, I swear!' Prompto said, and there was some rustling, before something soft was pressed into his hands. 'Okay…open them.'

Ignis blinked a few times to focus his vision again, then found himself looking at a pair of black and silver gloves. He turned them over in his hands carefully, marvelling at the beauty of them. The underside was black leather, with perfect grip that would make throwing knives easy. The upper side was silvery in colour, fashionable, attractive. 'They're amazing. You bought them for me?'

Prompto shrugged, but he was beaming and there was a little pink flush on his cheeks. 'While you were showering I went out real quick. I figured they'd suit you; they look really sleek and professional, and you're always so elegant. But your hands are cold, I wasn't joking about that. Maybe these will help keep you warm.'

Ignis was touched that Prompto would go to the trouble of that, would even worry about his hands being cold and want to fix the problem. Ignis reached out and brought him in for another hug. 'Thank you, Prompto. I don't know what to say.'

'Nothing to say. You saved my life, think you more than deserve them. Plus I wanted to do something nice for you. I just…wanted to…I don't know.'

Ignis knew, though. Prompto was making up for the lost time, too. But it was okay; they'd worked through their misunderstandings now, and the differences they had been so scared of were what made them such good friends. Now that they'd realised that they could start again, and be stronger than ever for it.

They settled back against the sofa, and Prompto munched loudly on his popcorn.

'So, have you decided yet?' Ignis asked as the film began.

'Decided what?' Prompto asked with his mouth full of popcorn.

'Which you find more terrifying. Jaws or the Sabertusks?'

'Oh man, don't remind me! I'll never be able to pee at night again!'

Ignis chuckled, and rested his chin in Prompto's hair. 'How about Jaws riding a Sabertusk?'

Prompto groaned. 'Thanks. Yeah. That's done it now, never peeing again. And it's all your fault!'


End file.
